Koran Festival in Pogradec/ The symbol of Lake Ohrid between tradition and tourism

2025-08-22 14:44:00, Qyteti im CNA

Koran Festival in Pogradec/ The symbol of Lake Ohrid between tradition and

For the second year in a row, Pogradec celebrated the “king of Lake Ohrid”, the koran, a fish unique in the world and a symbol of the city. The Koran Festival, which has now become a tradition, gathered not only local residents but also numerous tourists who came to taste the specialties of this endemic species. As part of the activity, photo exhibitions were organized that showed the history of fishing over the years, traditional and modern dishes with koran were served, and nearly 2 million rasat were thrown into the lake, the highest figure ever recorded, with the aim of protecting and increasing this rare asset.

The Mayor of Pogradec, Ilir Xhakolli, emphasized the importance of the Koran for tourism and the economic development of the city. He promises that next year, the celebration will be organized even bigger than this year.

"In fact, this species, namely korani, is unique in the world and one of the first dishes that we offer to tourists. Pogradec has more tourists this year than last year, thanks to the Pogradec cuisine, which also includes cooking korani. Also, the business wisdom of Pogradec, which has maintained a certain level of prices that are affordable by wealthy Albanian families, but also foreigners. We have created the experience and I believe that in the next years it will definitely be on our holiday calendar and I promise that next year it will be an even bigger celebration."

Meanwhile, the representatives of Pogradec restaurants themselves shared their experience. Endri Çollari, a representative of a restaurant, said that they cook korana in two ways and it remains a favorite dish of local and foreign tourists. Among other things, Çollari says that in August, the price of korana as a raw material has reached up to €40.

"The secret is very simple, just love and a pure heart. Albanian tourists usually come for traditional dishes, while foreigners come for both traditional and modern ones because we make the Koran in both forms. It is difficult to find, so it is good, but it is easy to cook. This month, a kilogram of Koran has gone up to 40 euros, which businesses are taking, so we buy it in bulk from collectors. The price has increased for the seller, for the raw material, but we as a business have not moved it, we try to keep it stable so that customers do not leave and keep them as close as possible."

The chef, Erton Yzo, described participating in this celebration as a special emotion, while indicating that the korani has a history in Pogradec, emphasizing that it is cooked in an exceptional way.

"It is a pleasure to be part of this celebration that is a symbol of Pogradec. Koran is a fish that has a history in our country. It is a fish cooked by our mothers and is now part of many restaurants and an asset of this city. I can say that Pogradec cooks it exceptionally."

Meanwhile, the representative of a family restaurant, Kreshnik Avdullari, focused more on this year's challenge, the price. Regarding this issue, Avdullari says that the price increase is due to the high demand from customers for this fish.

"We are a family restaurant and we cook in the most traditional way possible. Our favorite is mainly in a casserole. Korani requires a little care, you don't have to rush the cooking. For tourists, it is a first course and remains the most sought-after dish in Pogradec. It is in short supply this year due to the very high price. There is fish, but the price is very high due to the high demand. The price exceeds 3,500 new lek. We have often told customers that there is none because we are forced to. This year this problem is more pronounced. A casserole with koran is not very simple, it is the price of the fish plus 500 lek more."

Through the throwing of the rasati and the joint efforts of institutions and fishermen, this year's celebration marked another important step towards preserving this natural treasure. The Koran is not just a fish, but a part of the identity of Pogradec and one more reason for tourists to return more and more often to the shores of Lake Ohrid./ CNA